


Fits the Crime

by raspberrymocha



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Basically this is an alternate take on Ignis’s blindness, Canon Disabled Character, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Nyx as written by someone who hasn’t seen Kingsglaive, Regis is kind of a dick, Secret Relationship, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 15:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19320760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberrymocha/pseuds/raspberrymocha
Summary: An old Lucian law states that any servant who dares to look upon their king should have the eyes plucked from their skull. Ignis has done far more than look at Noctis.





	Fits the Crime

**Author's Note:**

> I’m just gonna. Casually put this out there instead of updating any of the things I said I would update. Because that’s just how I roll.

Despite his position in the Citadel, Ignis hadn’t spent much time in King Regis’s office. He was Noctis’s retainer, after all, and answered to the prince almost exclusively. At least, he used to.

“I trust you know why I’ve called you up here.” Regis said from where he stood, leaning against a polished oak desk. Ignis couldn’t decide if that was cause for concern or not.

“Yes, sir.” He replied, though it hadn’t really been a question. There could be no question at all. He knew that he was there to answer for his crime – the crime of loving Noctis.

* * *

From the beginning, Ignis had a clear understanding of his role in the Citadel. He was to be a friend, a brother, a guiding force in the prince’s life. And for a while, he’d excelled at that task. Devoted himself entirely to his liege, even when Noctis did not wish for it.

“Unhealthy” Some called it – whispering adults concerned that he was too attached, too dedicated. But Ignis hadn’t cared. Noctis was the center of his universe, the star around which he orbited, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. It was easy for loyalty to turn to genuine affection, and easier still for that to turn to love.

Still, he knew that he could never act upon those feeling. Romantic entanglements were not just frowned upon, but outright forbidden, as outlined in the contract he signed when he became formally employed by the Crown. Sure, it hadn’t specifically mentioned the prince, but it didn’t have to. Ignis could read between the lines.

It was Noctis, ever rebellious, who made the first move, cornering him one day after a training session. He stared Ignis down with those bright blue eyes, leaving him feeling exposed in the loose tank top and sweatpants he wore.

“Are we just gonna keep doing this forever?” He asked.

“And what would that be, Your Highness?” Ignis replied, hoping the formality would create some distance between them. If anything, it just inspired Noct to lean even closer into his space.

“You know exactly what I mean.” Ignis could feel his breath on his lips.

“Your High-“

“Ignis. Shut up and kiss me.”

And so he did, helpless as always to obey a command from his prince.

* * *

 “I’ve already put in my resignation.” He said calmly, hands folded behind his back.

“That’s good,” Regis still wasn’t looking at him, instead straightening out some pens on his desk. “That means this won’t be any harder than it has to be.”

“Exactly.” Ignis’s body sagged with relief. Obviously, this wasn’t the way he’d hoped things would go, but it was probably the best he could hope for, all things considered. “I just need a few days to get my affairs in order, and then you’ll never have to see me again.”

“Oh, I’m certain of that. Are you familiar with the story of King Nerva?”

That had Ignis frowning. He couldn’t imagine where the king was going with that. “Yes, the Mad King. It’s said that he was so paranoid, he plucked the eyes out of any servant who looked at him.”

“That’s not just a rumor. It’s an old law he put in place – one that was never technically repealed. Perhaps it got missed among all the other ludicrous laws he passed. But that’s beside the point.” Regis said, finally looking him in the eyes. “You, Ignis Scientia, have done far more than look at my son.”

* * *

Moonlight poured through the car windows – Ignis’s car, not Noctis’s. They had to be careful, after all. It was too dangerous to meet up like this in Insomnia, where the Crown had eyes and ears everywhere. Of course, leaving the city with the crown prince in tow wasn’t much safer, but they could at least make excuses. As long as no one knew what they were doing parked miles from any civilization, they would be safe.

The thought of how many rules they were breaking made Ignis a little queasy, so he chose simply not to think about it. Luckily, it was easy enough to ignore with Noctis spread out across the backseat, pale skin on display for all the world to see.

He wished he could have said this was the first time he’d done this. Then he might at least have some kind of excuse – a spur of the moment type thing. But it wasn’t even the second, or the third. In fact, he could no longer recall how many time he had laid the prince down like this, and made love to him.

“Ignis,” Noctis gasped. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but whatever it was died on his lips.

Ignis didn’t respond with words. Instead, hitched Noct’s thigh up on his hip, allowing him to sink even deeper into the prince’s body. Then, he froze. Someone was tapping on the glass. Noctis must have heard it, too, because he stilled underneath him. For a moment, the only sound was their heavy breathing, and Ignis dared to hope. Maybe it was just a wild animal. Or something else of that sort. It didn’t have to mean anything.

Then the noise came again.

“Scientia!” A voice called out. In the darkness, Ignis could just make out a shadowy figure. “You might as well come out and face the music.”

They scrambled to put their clothes back on, though there was no disguising what they’d been doing. In the chaos, Noctis hit his head on the roof, and Ignis realized too late the shirt he was pulling on wasn’t his. By the time the door was yanked open, they were only somewhat decent.

Nyx Ulric poked his head in, looking far too amused by situation. He was eating an apple, of all things, looking for all the world like he belonged in the Leiden wilderness at an ungodly hour.

“You know, you’re really not that subtle.” He said, biting into the fruit with a loud crunch. “Did you really think no one would notice that the crown prince went missing nearly every night?”

Ignis knew that nothing he said would make things alright, so he didn’t say anything at all.

“Go away, Ulric.” Noctis snapped. His back was straight, looking impossibly regal in only his boxers. “That’s an order.”

“See, that’s the thing. I don’t take orders from you. Not yet, anyway.” He did back off, leaning against the car to give them time to collect themselves. “I have an obligation to report this to His Majesty, but I’m not a unreasonable guy. I’ll give you, say, a week to tell him yourself first.”

“Why would you do that?” Ignis asked, eyes narrow, but mostly because he hadn’t found his glasses yet.

Nyx shrugged. “It’s probably better coming from His Highness. I mean, it’s not like it’s a crime to be young and in love – or whatever this is – and doesn’t every father want their son to be happy?”

* * *

The king still hadn’t moved, but of course, he didn’t have to, for Ignis to be staring down the business end of a spectral sword (the Sword of the Mystic, his brain supplied unhelpfully.) He’d never seen any of the royal arms up close before – never had an opportunity to. They were magnificent, but of course, every thing about the royal family was. He barely had time to register this fact, however, because in the next instant, the sword moved. He had just enough sense to summon one of his daggers and block the strike.

“What in Ifrit’s name are you doing?” Ignis had been taught all his life not to question authority, the king least of all, but the question still slipped from his mouth.

It was clearly the wrong thing to do. Regis fumed, the holy light of his magic flaring like a beacon of righteous judgment. “How quick you are to use my son’s gifts against me - gifts that I allowed you to have.”

He slammed his cane against the polished marble floor, the sound rising throughout the room. Something tugged at Ignis, at his very being, like a hand squeezing the air out of his throat. Ignis stumbled, his dagger clanging again the ground, as every last bit of strength was drained from him. It burst into a cloud of blue sparks, and when he tried to summon it again, it would not come.

The magic, the gift given to him by Noctis, was gone, taken by its true master. It was as though part of his soul had been ripped from his body. He stepped backwards on shaky legs, arms up as if to defend himself, though he knew it would do no good before the terrible might of a Lucian king.

The royal arm descended, clear as glass, but distorting his vision. The first strike merely knocked his glasses off his face, the second was the last thing he ever saw.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter @raspberryxmocha if you wanna yell at me to just finish something already.


End file.
